For the 72nd year running, Rhode Island on Monday will commemorate the end of World War II with an official state holiday — Victory Day. For much of that time, Rhode Islanders have debated the merits of marking the anniversary of the Japanese surrender in 1945. In this year of anti-racism and social justice protest, the Victory Day debate has begun anew.
For the 72nd year running, Rhode Island on Monday will commemorate the end of World War II with an official state holiday — Victory Day.
And over much of that time, residents have debated the merits of marking the anniversary of the Japanese surrender in 1945 — Rhode Island is the only state in the nation to do so — as well as whether Victory Day is a good name for the holiday.
In this year of anti-racism and social justice protest, the Victory Day debate has begun anew.
An online petition seeks to "Transform Victory over Japan Day to an Inclusive RI Holiday."
"One possibility is Celebrate Rhode Day to encourage Rhode Islanders to enjoy a staycation, exploring beaches and State Parks, attend food and music festivals showcasing local artists and businesses, and attend events at historic sites highlighting Rhode Island’s critical role in the birth of America and ongoing evolution," the petition says.
In the windows of downtown Providence shops like Bolt Coffee on Washington Street, posters suggest "Mayor’s Bay Day," "Lobster Roll Day," or "Surf and Sand Day" under the hashtag #RenameVictoryDay.
"The idea is we can still have the holiday and use it to talk about other things, enjoy our time and still have a conversation about the meaning of the war," Casey Belisle, a Bolt employee, said Friday.
But in a state with a large number of veterans and a protective sense of tradition, the idea of taking victory out of Victory Day meets stiff pushback.
"The Allied triumph in World War II was nothing less than the triumph of good over evil," Andrea Palagi, spokeswoman for Lt. Gov. Dan McKee, wrote The Journal in an email. "[McKee’s] father served in the Pacific during World War II and he believes that everyone who served with him should continue to be honored and remembered on Victory Day."
The Journal last week reached out to a dozen of the state’s high-ranking elected officials and 2020 candidates for their takes on whether Victory Day is ripe for a change.
Gov. Gina Raimondo, House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello and Senate President Dominick Ruggerio all had the same response: no comment.
General Treasurer Seth Magaziner "believes it is appropriate to celebrate the end of the second world war as a victory over fascism," spokesman Evan England wrote in en email. "Thousands of Rhode Islanders sacrificed themselves for the cause of democracy, and their example is especially important today given the troubling rise of extremism and totalitarianism both abroad and at home."
Even Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza, who has waded into cultural battles before (he has proposed reparations for Black and indigenous city residents) steered clear of the Victory Day debate.
Among sitting state officeholders, Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea goes the furthest toward supporting a holiday overhaul.
"As a proud sister, daughter and granddaughter of Army veterans, I fully appreciate the sacrifices of the Greatest Generation during WWII," Gorbea told The Journal in an email. "Although the blatant anti-Japanese sentiment has been dropped, it is time to engage in a collective conversation around the focus of the Victory Day holiday.
"This could be a great opportunity to officially recognize other important moments such as May 4th [Rhode Island Independence Day,] Gaspee Days or Juneteenth."
Victory Day was added to Rhode Island’s list of officials holidays in 1948, three years after the end of the war, and was initially observed on Aug. 14 each year. In 1966, the General Assembly gave the holiday its current place on the calendar, the second Monday in August each year.
For years, Arkansas was the only other state with an official holiday to commemorate the end of World War II, but has since ended it.
Although for decades many Rhode Islanders referred to the holiday as V-J Day (for Victory over Japan) the official name was always Victory Day and has never been changed. A 1947 proclamation signed by Gov. John Pastore commemorating the anniversary of Japanese surrender even calls it Victory Day.
However, the use of V-J Day was so widespread that in 1999, the General Assembly found it necessary to pass a law banning any government entity from referring to the holiday as anything other than Victory Day.
Some of the holiday’s defenders felt that concession to public sensitivities over Japan was more than enough.
Others want to go further.
Providence Licensing Board Chairman Dylan Conley, who is challenging U.S. Rep. Jim Langevin in a Democratic primary, wants to keep the holiday’s focus on World War II, but call the holiday Pacific Theater Day to remove the triumphalism.
"We do not respect our past unless we confront it in its entirety. The good, the bad, the triumphs and failures all need recognition," Conley wrote in an email. "So, the problem with Victory Day is not that it remembers our war with Japan, the problem is that its focus is too narrow. We must look beyond our triumph to recognize the horror of war."
"I would humbly suggest renaming it Pacific Theater (PT) Day. Framing the holiday to recognize the entirety of the experience of war instead of just victory is an opportunity for Japanese and Americans alike to consider the horrors of war and pay their respects to all those that suffered, including those that served."
Former state Rep. Robert Lancia, who is seeking the Republican nomination in the 2nd Congressional District, said the purpose of Victory Day "is not to have anyone relive internment camps or the trials and sufferings on both sides."
"American soldiers fought and died for every American’s freedom, including the freedom of the Japanese who eventually made their home here and we can never ever forget that," Lancia wrote in an email. "Victory Day is a tribute to every American who was at home or in the battlefield. To try to dilute the purpose of Victory Day would be a travesty."
Langevin’s office could not be reached Friday.
In a text, Rhode Island House Republican leader Blake Filippi suggested that a recent focus on statues, name changes and monuments itself was misplaced.
"Let’s do this: every person that wants to change what we call our holidays, buildings or streets, and what statues we tear down, etc., should raise the issue over the next 30 days, but not after," he wrote. "Then we can move on to the critical issues we face ..."
— panderson@providencejournal.com
(401)277-7384
On Twitter: PatrickAnderso_
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R.I. still divided on Victory Day holiday - The Providence Journal
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